How to remove Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 FPS cap?

[combatantdrip]

Hi,I have been playing this game and I did not notice any option of vsync but no matter what setting I use my fps remains stable at 42-44 fps,how to remove this fps cap??

 

[Dawn1113]

I had that game installed on my machine a while ago and, yes, it does offer a vsync option. You can find it by clicking on any one of the three sections under the main menu: Spec Ops, Campaign and Multiplayer. Go to "Options", then "Advanced Video". You should see a "Sync every frame" option there. Select "No" to disable.

I think the game is capped at 85FPS. I'm not sure about that, though. In any case, I doubt the limit is at 42 to 44 FPS since I remember getting a solid 60FPS on multiplayer with vsync enabled.

What is your monitor's refresh rate?

 

[combatantdrip]

Oh,sorry my mistake,there is an option but I turned it off
60 hz I think,not sure

 

[Dawn1113]

If vsync is disabled, and your framerates hover between 42 and 44 FPS, then it just may be that you have set graphics quality settings too high. That or you have some resource-hungry application running in the background. Modern Warfare 3 is hardly a demanding game, though.

You get those framerates at multiplayer? What are your system specs?

 

[combatantdrip]

No,single player
core i5-3450
8gb ram
gtx 660

yes,I set the graphics setting to max,but the fps remains same even if the graphics quality is reduced

 

[Dawn1113]

No,single player
core i5-3450
8gb ram
gtx 660

yes,I set the graphics setting to max,but the fps remains same even if the graphics quality is reduced

You must have some resource-hungry application running in the background. I'm pretty sure a GTX 660 should be able to kick MW3 on its bum without breaking into a sweat, giving you well over 60FPS on a 1080p monitor -- all in-game quality settings set to their maximum. In fact,this TS review says your GPU should be able to churn out around 60 to 62 FPS on a 2560x1600 monitor, max quality.

Try disabling any unnecessary background applications when playing the campaign. You can sign into your Steam account and play singleplayer offline, anyway. Make sure your graphics drivers are up to date, too.

If you still get low framerates, you might try the following steps in the Nvidia Control panel:

1) Click on "Manage 3D settings" in the left panel, then find the profile for Modern Warfare 3 in the scroll bar that should appear in the right panel of the new window.

2) Assuming you're not using multiple displays with your GPU, go to "Multi-display/ mixed GPU acceleration" in the MW3 profile settings. Select "Single display performance mode" in the opposite pane and click "Apply".

3) Next, go to "Power management mode", select "Prefer maximum performance" in the opposite panel and click "Apply".

I'm assuming you have an adequate PSU and that you have good airflow going inside your case. If you aren't sure about these things, then it might be best to forego Step 3. Make sure the tweaks are applied only to your MW3 profile. Keep all your global settings at default.

 

[Marnomancer]

Informative post, Dawn. You might consider writing game tweak guides now, you know.

 

[Dawn1113]

Informative post, Dawn. You might consider writing game tweak guides now, you know.

I would if I knew as much about it as you do about computers in general, Marnomancer. But, unfortunately, the few paragraphs above comprise the sum total of what I know about the subject.

 

[combatantdrip]

Thanks dawn1113, but I have finished playing MW3 and uninstalled it
can I apply the above settings to AC 3 too??
and what does "use global setting" mean?

 

[Dawn1113]

Thanks dawn1113, but I have finished playing MW3 and uninstalled it
can I apply the above settings to AC 3 too??
and what does "use global setting" mean?

Haha! That's pretty much what I did with MW3, too: installed, played, and quickly uninstalled. I'm not a fan of that particular COD game, really. In fact, the only one I really liked in that series was COD4: Modern Warfare.

I have applied the the previously described Nvidia Control Panel tweaks to the profiles of just about every game installed on my PC. I don't see any harm in doing the same for AC3. I should mention, though, that some are of the opinion that the power management tweak is pointless. I happen to disagree with that view. I suggest you do some benchmarks and decide on the basis of the results you get. That is what I did.

Global settings are just the driver settings recommended by Nvidia. You have two main tabs in the right panel of the "Manage 3D settings" window: Global Settings and Program Settings. I suggest you leave everything under the Global Settings tab alone. Do your tweaking on a per program basis.

 

[combatantdrip]

Ok,thanks

 

[Marnomancer]

Global settings are the settings which the system tries to apply to applications which do not have their own configuration, or more importantly to the system on a whole. Changing a value in global settings overrides the in-app setting equivalent.
As Dawn said, it's generally recommended you configure per-applications settings.

 

[combatantdrip]

Oh,what is triple buffering??
which one should I use ,msaa(med) or fxaa for sleeping dogs?

 

[Dawn1113]

Vsync with triple buffering is a setting designed to reduce -- or eliminate -- screen tearing while keeping your framerates constant.

Screen tearing occurs when the video feed from your GPU does not match your display's refresh rate. (I'm the farthest thing from an expert, but that is how I understand it.)

If -- say -- your GPU is capable of producing 120 FPS for a certain game, and you have a monitor that is only able to handle 60 frames a second (60Hz), you get tearing as your monitor "struggles" to display information from two frames in a single screen draw.

To correct this, the vsync with triple buffering setting commands your GPU to undertake two simultaneous operations: (a) wait until your monitor has finished its current refresh cycle before sending up the next frame; and (b) work on two more frames held in its buffer while the front frame is shown on your display. These two simultaneous actions permit your system to produce a steady, synchronized stream of frames based on your monitor's refresh rate. (That is, if your GPU is up to the task.)

There are trade offs. You may see some input lag, and -- if your GPU is unable to produce a constant 60FPS in spite triple buffering -- you'll probably run into stuttering issues.

You don't need triple buffering if you've got a powerful enough GPU, though, even with vsync enabled.

I'm sure my description is inexact and lacking. I do not know enough about these things to attempt anything beyond a broadstrokes explanation. There are better, more accurate and detailed technical descriptions out there. I suggest you go over what's readily available on the internet to get a clearer idea. I get a headache just thinking about this stuff.

PS: I edited this to add vsync, which I completely missed the first time around!

 

[Marnomancer]

Wow, I had never thought of input lag due to the added load on the processing devices. :s
Makes sense.

As for MSAA or FXAA, you have to select "what works for you". Experiment with the settings, see which ones work best for you. Good luck on that, buddy.

 

[Dawn1113]

Wow, I had never thought of input lag due to the added load on the processing devices. :s
Makes sense.

I came across this in a forum somewhere. Yes, it did make sense to me, as well, seeing as most games use DX anyway. But I assume this only happens on older systems.

In any case, triple buffering helps reduce the input lag you sometimes get when vsync is enabled in OpenGL applications. Or at least that's how I understand it. I used to rely on D3DO to force triple buffering on DX games with my old GTS 250 -- still noticed some input lag from time to time.

Off topic: Good to see you dropping by more frequently, Marnomancer! Haven't seen you around much lately. Busy chasing the ladies around, I bet. (y)

 

[Marnomancer]

I came across this in a forum somewhere. Yes, it did make sense to me, as well, seeing as most games use DX anyway. But I assume this only happens on older systems.
In any case, triple buffering helps reduce the input lag you sometimes get when vsync is enabled in OpenGL applications. Or at least that's how I understand it. I used to rely on D3DO to force triple buffering on DX games with my old GTS 250 -- still noticed some input lag from time to time.

I can't really comment much on that, since I myself never noticed any lag with it on when I used to use it, and never used Vsync anywhere except CS: Source (the tearing was more than I could tolerate at 680 FPS). At framerates below 60, Vsync is useless with or without Triple Buffering IMHO, so it's better left OFF in such situations anyway. I myself only noticed tearing when my framerates exceeded 100 FPS (though my monitor's refresh rate is 60Hz at that resolution).
And anyway, I'm gaming quite less nowadays. Might restart as soon as I officially get my Linux gaming rig working, though!
But it means I'll have to ditch Halo for gaming on Linux. That's a breakup on a scale of one to Adele.

Off-topic:

Good to see you dropping by more frequently, Marnomancer! Haven't seen you around much lately. Busy chasing the ladies around, I bet. (y)

Speaking of which, well, my work on my Linux distro and a part-time job as a tech columnist in a local newspaper has been keeping me quite busy, along with studies. Hence haven't been able to drop by much. I try to whenever I can though. When I'm done by the end of the day I'm usually too tired.
As for the ladies, I'm off the chase for a moment. Didn't need to, if you know what I mean!
But yeah, it feels nice to be back.

 

[St1ckM4n]

Input will lag because you're limited to 60fps input. Otherwise, the input cap is infinite, yet screen may tear.

 

[combatantdrip]

Well guys,thanks for all the informative posts!!
But with all the recent games and high settings my gpu will struggle to keep the FPS at 55-60